Just once A Mingzan fic
by Immortal-Immoral
Summary: A dramatic/smutty Mingzan fic with little bits of Za'Li. Set shortly before the Red Lotus' first attempt to kidnap Korra thirteen years ago. CONTAINS SMEX. (My first straight pairing in a while.) 3 chapters a domestic bliss bonus.
1. Chapter 1

**13 Years Ago**

The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. The Red Lotus needed a break before setting out on their next mission. P'Li had finally started pacing making Ming-Hua fall back to the riverside for peace and quiet. Ghazan watched her absentmindedly tease the water into peaks and waves. It was kind of hypnotic. Without her arms she had learned to bend with her mind, the fluid moving like thoughts. There was nothing more difficult.

Ming-Hua and her element were twins in so many ways. Undisturbed they shared serenity. Provoked they shared rage - strike and be lashed back at in waves, drowned, consumed, dragged away by the currents. Ming-Hua was also reflective. Alone she had no colour, gave no light or warmth. Sometimes though, if she were close, real emotion could be shared. When she was mixed with laughter, teamwork and passion she shone with genuine beauty. The world had made her plain but her zeal was vibrant. She had his undivided attention.

Ghazan quietly walked over and sat next to her. Feeling brave he inched closer.

Her eyes moved. The ebbing of the water was uninterrupted.

"What do you want?" she said.

"Nothing." he half lied. There were butterflies rising in his stomach. "Just your company."

She finally turned, her long dark hair swishing with her motion. There it was. His presence had evoked some of that emotion. Her eyes were not so sharp.

"Why?"

"Would you believe me if I said I enjoyed your company?"

She sniffed, a little colour rising to her cheeks.

"Ming-Hua…" Ghazan began. His chest tightened, cutting off his words.

The ripples ceased.

"Ghazan."

"It's… I think it's been pretty hectic lately. But I've really liked working closer with you."

Ming-Hua focussed on him. The tightness returned.

"You're a good team mate." she replied awkwardly. There was a fluttering in her own stomach. Not butterflies, maybe moths. Moths with eyes on their wings that saw every internal struggle…

Whatever she was feeling made her uncomfortable. Dependencies were for the weak. She had got this far almost entirely on her own. As a child she was told she would never amount to anything. She would never be an artist, a tradesperson, a wife. She would always be disabled, the freak born with no arms. Now, she felt it again for the first time in years. Disabled by something beyond her control. These all-consuming feelings made her feel feeble. They were something she could not bend her way out of no matter how skilled.

"When I'm with you, I feel…" Ghazan struggled for words. "I get this sense of…"

"Clarity..?" Ming-Hua suggested, meeting his eyes.

"Clarity." agreed the earth bender. "Do you feel it too?"

"I'm not big on feelings." she said emotionlessly. She looked away and did not look back.

Zaheer watched the two other members sitting together like awkward teens on a first date. He could mediate before a mission to hone his concentration but his team often did not share his mindfulness. They were distracted from relaxing. No one could recover that way. He came up with an idea that would work for everyone.

He called Ming-Hua over to locate the spring that was the source of their campsite's river. Lukewarm water bubbled up and collected into a few pools before tumbling down the rocky hillside and feeding the greenery beneath it. They gathered around it and stripped down to improvised swimwear, finding natural ledges in the sides to sit on.

"Don't touch your feet to the floor or it'll genuinely cook you, ok?" Ghazan said sinking into the rock pool and planting his soles down firmly.

P'Li quickly lifted her feet, crossing her long legs and tucking her towel down securely. Zaheer wrapped an arm around her comfortingly, making Ming-Hua turn her head away. She was sat apart from them, only her feet dangling in the water. Ghazan had hoped she would pick a towel too to bathe in. No such luck. She was almost completely covered by a shawl, a pin of ice holding it closed. Her water arms lay by her sides with the shawl breaking the surface.

"Cook, huh?" she said feeling eyes on her. "It would be a shame to turn out as bad as your cooking."

"Ha ha, miss 'I only make soup'." he retorted as he sent chi into the floor. The ground under the water began to blister and gently glow. Heat rose through the water and sent steam into the air. The Red Lotus let out a collective sigh of satisfaction. The water was heavenly.

"Stop bickering, you too. Just relax." Zaheer instructed, leaning his head back and closing his eyes.

"You're like an old married couple." P'Li added with a small smirk. She inhaled the steam deeply and settled into her lover's shoulder. Ming-Hua wrinkled her nose, stealing a glance for the other man's reaction. Their eyes met and she jerked away. Ghazan found it quite cute. Zaheer and P'Li started nuzzling, making Ming-Hua search for other places to look. Over and over she met Ghazan's eyes. A blush invaded her dull cheeks. The image of sweat drops inching down Ghazan's deep caramel skin was burned into her retinas. He should wear his hair down, even if he was in a spring. Now she pictured his long, dark hair clinging to his taunt neck and shoulders. She shook her head to banish the fantasy.

After a while Ming-Hua suddenly rose and walked away downhill towards a patch of young trees. The lava bender felt a twinge of sadness as his heart dropped. His body temperature seemed to rise… what was this? Lust or affection? He wanted to know so badly. He wanted that clarity.

After a few minutes he rose, leaving the other two dozing, to follow her. He found her downriver, enjoying the solitude. She heard him coming and refused to make eye contact. She did not need it. Her insides ached for intimacy. Would Ghazan cure that? Could anyone?

"I saw you avoiding them." Ghazan finally said.

"Avoiding who?" the petite woman responded.

"P'Li and Zaheer. You refused to look at them."

"I don't have to watch their make out session."

"So you'd rather watch me?"

"I wasn't looking at you either."

"You were. I saw you. More than once."

"Yeah?" she challenged.

"Yeah." he replied. He swallowed, a lump in his throat. "Them being all couple-y got you flustered."

"I don't get flustered."

Ghazan tried to choose his words carefully. He tongue was lead, his worst enemy. He did not want to be deceptive in any way. He needed to ask. Where could this chemistry lead?

"Do you want to try some time? Sex. With me."

He gave himself a mental pat on the back for forming actual words that created a mostly coherent sentence. Ming-Hua paused for thought, trying to think clearly. The warmth in her belly was so appealing. She wanted to dive in and swim. It did not have to mean anything…

"One time." she said.

"One time, alright." the lava bender smiled. "If you change your mind though, I'll back off. You have my word."

She glanced around, inspecting the tree-line.

"Where?"

"What, now?" Ghazan said blinking hard.

"Now or never." she replied as she stood.

"Right." he said with a nod. Suddenly he was seventeen again, trying not to fumble and trip over his own feet. He spotted a flat, leafy clearing shadowed from the moonlight. It looked delightfully romantic in a moment of urgency. "There?"

Ming-Hua nodded and headed over immediately, Ghazan following. She shrugged off her shawl to reveal her own improvised bathing suit, a strapless one-piece and under bust sash. That had to go. His hands found the bow and he shuddered a little as icy claws slid down his waistband. Their clothes hit the leaves. Spirits, she was so petite. He could almost get his hands to meet around her waist. Her breasts and hips were subtle and smooth, deathly pale. He ran a thumb over a rosy nipple and it stiffened. She flexed her shoulders to push her breasts forward. He dropped to his knees to take it into his mouth. His free hand gripped his length, rubbing vigorously. Could she take him inside her? Frozen nails ran through his hair and she breathed heavily, looking down at him with an ever softening expression. His snow queen was melting. Heavenly warmth filled her. Ghazan touched a hand to her thigh and they parted a little. Wetness greeted his middle finger and the freezing claws dug in a little. Hot and tight, cold and sharp. She finally groaned when he curved inside her towards her g-spot. She pictured kissing him when he moved to the other nipple and his index finger pushed inside her. A little gasp.

"Too much?" he asked immediately.

"No," she said shaking her head. "It's been a while."

Honestly, Ghazan had not seen her take a day off in years, let alone a night out. She and P'Li spent quite time together sometimes as his own company could exhaust her. She was introverted. It did not seem appropriate to ask when she last got her rocks off. When he wanted sex he could go out and find it with relative ease. He was a six foot three, broad shouldered and tattooed. He was mostly Earth nation heritage with a splash of fire on his mother's side. It all made for an attractive, masculine appearance with a mellow side that rarely got any appreciation. He may not have saved his body, but he was saving his heart and soul for someone special.

Ghazan bobbed his head lower, spreading her pussy a little to expose her clit. He ran a line with his tongue inside her, taking in her taste and smell, and she pressed against him. He started to make shapes to find where she liked it best while he moved his fingers in and out.

"Ghazan…" she choked. Her knees were weak. "Let's… lie back."

Not needing to be told twice he swept her up in his arms and lay her down on the shawl. His head went back to its place between her thighs. The attention was overwhelming. He worshipped her. The passion came naturally. The moment of pause had grounded his own climax, forcing him back to the beginning. It was not a bad thing. He could do this forever. Pleasure consumed the water bender and soon pulsed in tidal waves, making her toes curl and legs physically tremble. She did not want to cry his name like some smitten maid but the groan that escaped her lips sounded remarkably like it.

"What about you?" Ming-Hua asked. She panted.

"We can finish here." the flushed man said. He did not want to pressure her. Many things he was, but he was no rapist. The thought of pushing anyone into sex made him recall dozens of bare knuckle brawls where he stood between his older sister and would-be attackers looking for opportunity. What a screw up he would have been without her.

"Put it in." she said. "You sit back."

Ghazan did as he was told, rolling over on the shawl. He propped himself up on his elbows and Ming-Hua slid into his lap, thighs spread. He aligned their bodies. He wondered again if he would fit. She could set the pace from on top. He could control the urge to thrust. She sank down to take him in, just the tip at first. Something pleasant and familiar came rush back. Her cool body could feel his heat rising through her. His hands came up to her waist. Feeling confident she pushed further, achieving a deep, intimate stretch. She saw Ghazan's face relax with bliss. A moan. Finally their lips met. She pushed further, hitting her limit. What a feeling.

"Move with me." she breathed.

He started to roll his hips and she leaned into him. The pace quickened, the air heated and the two became tighter in embrace every minute. Ming-Hua leaned forward to kiss him again, hungry for affection. Ghazan's hand held the back of her head. Her hair shook loose was a good look. Colour in her cheeks suited her too. Ghazan's wondering hands caressed everywhere they could reach. He was close again.

"I need to pull out." he groaned. "I'm gonna cum."

Ming-Hua bounced in his lap more vigorously.

"So cum." she uttered into his ear.

That was enough. He gripped her tighter as he felt the waves of pleasure turn into pulsing orgasm. His groan of release made the water bender grin. They lay against one another for a few minutes catching their breath. Ghazan stroked her hair, totally consumed in wonder. Soon she pulled away, grabbing her one piece and tying it on with her sash. She had a shiver, but it was not from cold. Nerves? Spirits damn it. It was nerves. She could not even move naturally. Her entire persona felt thrown off balance.

"I'm going to bed." Ming-Hua said tonelessly. Stiffly she walked down the hillside and vanished into the night.

Ghazan sat there, stunned in the afterglow. The further she walked, the more he ached. No words came to his mouth. His throat closed. He just sat there. Like an idiot. An idiot in love.

"Spirits damn it," Ghazan whispered to himself. "I love her."

"Stupid, stupid mistake." Ming-Hua muttered alone in her tent. "I can't love him."

She clenched her jaw in frustration. Sleeping with Ghazan… What was she thinking? No answer came, only a mash up of mixed emotions. No, no, no… Nothing should make her feel this way. Love did not exist. It was a combination of chemicals and loneliness that drove people into one another's company once it had driven them out of their wits. She was beyond that. She did not need that mess and never had. But now, just thinking of love made her weak in the knees. Unacceptable.

The next morning, she said nothing. Her solitary march spoke volumes. Ghazan tried not to stare. His heart remained twisted all night leading to a fitful sleep pitted with dangerous, romantic dreams. The air was heavy again. P'Li noticed first that the two were avoiding each other. In fact, Zaheer refused to talk about what they saw from the spring that night. They had not intended to spy. All they had done was check up on them and witnessed a few moments of passion before returning to camp. Zaheer felt it was none of his business.

"Do you think we should talk to him?" P'Li said, gesturing to the solemn lava bender.

"No," Zaheer said. "He needs to deal with this on his own. Guru La-"

"Guru Laghima was celibate." the amazon said, raising an eyebrow. "I'm sure he doesn't have a poem about rejection after spontaneous sex. We need to tell him what we saw and what we think."

Zaheer rubbed his forehead.

"Some restful break we're taking. Fine. I'll talk to him soon."

"Thank you." P'Li said, kissing his bald skull. They smiled together.

Ghazan huffed and tried to carry on. All day the scratches left by sharp frozen nails reminded him of his personal heaven. A heaven he would probably never see again. Love sure did hurt.


	2. Chapter 2

**13 Years Later**

United again, the Red Lotus was strong - Zaheer, P'Li, Ming-Hua and Ghazan. The four fugitives piled into a stolen truck, keen to put distance between themselves and their prisons. Spirits, did they look worse for wear. P'Li and Zaheer were barely recognisable with their overlong shaggy hair. Ming-Hua, frail as she was, had shaken with laughter for a solid five minutes at Ghazan's beard. No words formed as he tried to think of a snappy comeback. He was just so damn glad to see her.

While the other two sprung to getting it on almost immediately, the earth bender and the water bender sat stiffly in each other's company for two driving shifts. Every hour or so, they stole a glimpse at the other seat. The air was as thick as that night at the riverside. The little lady of the Red Lotus could still stop a satomobile with a glance. It was always a relief to not be on the receiving end of that. Sitting beside her he could feel her aura; Ming-Hua still had that same gigantic presence. She was half his size thirteen years ago and now even less than that. What a state she was in when they freed her. Her eyes and cheeks were so hollow that her face was half made of shadow. Now, after a few days of food and rest, she was looking a little more herself. Older, more bitter, but still herself. In prison Ghazan had tried to remember her the way she was the night among the trees. This was better, as brutal as it was, because it was real.

Eventually the Red Lotus pulled over at someone's holiday cabin. They tended to their barbaric looks and sank into their own skins again. A few wrinkles here, a new scar there… Things sure had changed on the outside. Combs broke in their knotted hair, skin that had not seen soap in over a decade stung as the oil was stripped away. Their old clothes hung looser from their frames.

In the cabin Ming-Hua did little for herself other than drink glass after glass of clean tap water. Grooming and primping were not her interest. She made don't-ask-what's-in-it soup like she used to with whatever she could find in the kitchen and packed it into containers for the trip. Ghazan watched her busy herself quietly. With how long it had taken to get his neat moustache back he had decide against cutting his hair. That was a job for another day. Zaheer had offered to shave his head for him but he declined and retreated to the kitchen. Alone with Ming-Hua, Ghazan leapt at his chance to privately embrace the tiny water bender. She struggled like a cat but he only gripped her tighter.

"Get off!" she spat. "Your moustache is scratching my face."

"Suck it up. It's been thirteen years."

Ming-Hua sighed and waited limply for the bear hug to end. She tingled all over, alarmed at how glad she was to be wrapped in his strong arms.

"Spirits, I missed you." he whispered suddenly. "I was scared I'd never see you again. It was driving me mad."

Ming-Hua tensed and pulled away.

"I get that, you don't have to squeeze the life out of me. I missed you too. Just… Just don't think we're going to snap back to the way we were that night, alright?"

The earth bender ached with her words. He wanted to throw himself back at her. He had experienced heaven and hell in quick succession. He knew where he wanted to be.

"I want to try. I want there to be an 'us'. Don't tell me you didn't think of us in prison."

"I thought about a lot of silly things. It was thirteen years."

Her answer jabbed him sharply. She was avoiding the matter. It hurt.

"You know what I mean." he pressed.

"We had sex Ghazan. It was casual. Don't go 'mad' for something that happened once and don't get mad at me for not jumping off this cliff with you."

"I'm not mad because we had sex. I'm mad that we did and then didn't talk. Next thing we know, we're all in prisons and not once did I get the chance to tell you how I felt. That night confirmed everything I was trying to understand."

The water bender's throat felt dry again. Strange how raspiness and feeling trapped went together for her… She became acutely aware of how fast her heart rate was. Of course she had thought about what they could have had. In total, she had probably spent days thinking about that night and the time that lead up to it. Hours and hours of undivided thoughts of what their happiness could have looked like, as prickly and stubborn as she was about it. She had thought of their personalities, how they complimented each other. She imagined their brilliance as a tag team in numerous battles and the caressing of wounds old and new. She pictured their own home together after all the warring was over, every once in a while adding on a room for a new idea – a study, a guest room or the nursery of a new arrival.

"I thought about it, Ghazan." she said quietly. "I did. Problem is, I don't see myself having a happily ever after. It's not my destiny."

Ghazan's internal fire dissipated. Was that the truth? Did she not want to try to be happy because she did not think it possible? He had no words powerful enough to comfort her. It was a deep, cold fear – to think one could never find peace or happiness. He wanted to tell her how desperately he wanted to change her expectations. Instead he spread his arms. Ming-Hua stepped into his embrace and they held each other silently.

"I will dedicate my life to your happiness." Ghazan whispered. "When you find it, you can tell me if you still need me. But until then, I won't leave you. I will die before I leave you alone again."

Ming-Hua was quiet for a few moments.

"Thank you." she whispered pressing close to him.

They stood in embrace together for a long while, making up for all their time apart. It did not feel awkward or forced. They felt lighter. It was a great feeling to know you are taken seriously. Moonlight streamed passed the curtain of the stranger's house. It was quiet, just the sound of crickets and the gentle hum of shears in the bathroom on the other side of the house.

"When I was a kid," Ghazan recalled quietly. "My family would say that the moon was a woman. Years later, you told me that the moon was the first water bender. I may have renamed and reconfigured the constellations a thousand times, but the moon was always you."

"Yeah?" Ming-Hua replied with a small smile. "That's pretty corny."

"Yeah, it really is." he chuckled.

When P'Li and Zaheer emerged from the bathroom, all caresses and kisses, they were relieved to see the other two jointly ransacking the house for supplies. The pantry was stripped as well as the shed. Hot food was on the stove. Nothing was upset. They all finally sat down at the table together to eat. Cutlery felt alien in their hands and the chairs seemed too soft. Two games of footsie were played under the table.

An hour or so later, P'Li and Zaheer retired to bed in the master bedroom. The rhythmic creaking of springs filled one end of the house. Ghazan and Ming-Hua stared at the second room. Rather than two single beds, there was another double.

"I don't mind taking the floor." Ghazan suggested. "There are plenty of blankets and pillows in that cupboard."

"Alright." Ming-Hua replied. "I'm going to grab a tub for my water."

Ghazan nodded and she headed back out. The earth bender walked into the bathroom, plugged the sink and filled it up. A precaution, if they got ambushed in the night she would need all the water she could get. Then he set up his blankets and stripped off his shirt and pants. He doubted he would sleep much no matter how exhausted. He wanted to stay up all night and talk about anything and everything.

"Goodnight." he said as she turned the lights out.

"Goodnight." she replied, sinking into the mattress. Spirits, was this what beds had felt like before.

Ghazan crashed quickly. He practically passed out. Ming-Hua slept fitfully. She shifted uncomfortably and looked to see if Ghazan was still awake. He was not. He was sprawled flat on his back, arms over his head and legs tangled in his sheets. Her eyes trailed down his body, remembering his tattoos and scars. Before meeting him, she had considered herself averse to men. Men had trodden down on her in her early life and had hated her for empowering herself. It was like they wanted her to lie down and die – armless, defenceless and loveless. The memories angered her even now. So she found comfort and passion in the many women that studded her memories like stars in the inky black. There had never been just one. No one owned her. She stayed nowhere long. But Ghazan… If she asked, he would pack up anything and follow her. He would probably even hold the door open while he was at it. He was different, like no one before. He would not let her destroy herself, even though it seemed imminent.

Her eyes lingered at his waistline. She had no idea what had given her the confidence to go below the belt. She expected to feel hesitant. It had been so long since she had been with a man; she was a teenager when she swore them off. No hesitation had come. And it had been beautiful. Now, in the moonlight, she watched his body rise and fall with deep breaths. She wanted to touch him again. She had felt safe in his strong arms. She wanted to return to paradise.

Climbing out of bed gently she joined him on the floor. She slid under the sheets and rested her head on his shoulder, cuddling close to his body head. His sleeping body curved around her and she drifted off into dreams. Hours later Ghazan woke spooning her, his arms wrapped around her and sharing their warmth. Early morning sunlight spilled in so he closed his eyes again, content to sleep in and hold her. She snored gently, a little whistle, with a small frown on her brow. He squeezed her closer and her face relaxed. Later she twitched, waking him from his doze. She sat up, breaking their embrace and took in her surroundings remembering where she was. She looked down at him and warmth flooded into her stomach.

"Good morning." he said lazily.

"Good morning." she replied. The urge rose so she leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead. Affectionate, but not as needy as she felt. He sat up with her, gently cupped her face and kissed her back, a gentle gesture on her temple.

"The bed didn't work out?" he said.

"Too soft." she said. "The floor was more appealing."

Ghazan smiled and then stretched his arms. He felt a few cracks and yawned. Leaning back on his elbows he looked out the window. He would like to have a place like this in the mountains someday. He could even build the foundations and walls himself. His sister could visit in the summertime. Maybe there would be some nieces and nephews he had never met. Maybe he would bring his own children up to a house like this in the summer.

"Ghazan." Ming-Hua's voice said, breaking his daydream.

"Hm?"

Lips touched his. He welcomed them, pushing his fingers into her hair and holding her close. Her tongue brushed his bottom lip, eager to know him again. Two sleek water hands touched his thighs. His shorts became tight. He ran his hands down her body, touching her back and waist, remembering how she had felt pressed against him, bare skin on bare skin. Ghazan wanted to feel her body against his again. He pulled her wrap-around dress down her shoulders and exposed her breasts. She groaned and leaned closer to him, the air chill by comparison. One of his hands massaged her until the nipple stood erect, first one and then the other. He stripped the dress away completely. Her panties were damp but a boundary. Ming-Hua raised her hips to ease their removal. Ghazan sat up on the edge of the bed to be rid of his shorts, already fully excited. Ming-Hua was kneeling before him. Gently she stroked him, long, generous touches with her cool water fingers. His head fell back a little and his mouth opened.

"What now?" he breathed.

"Come here and do me." she whispered back.

"On your knees?"

"Yes."

Ghazan moved around her and knelt, his knees between hers. She leaned against the bed with her chest. His cock touched her thigh and felt wetness. The excitement rose. He ushered her into his lap, letting her guide him inside her. She groaned again, hitting her limit. He wrapped his arms around her, slowly increasing the intensity of her rocking hips. He kissed her neck and revelled in her soft moans. He freed a hand to venture to between her legs. His fingertips brushed where their bodies joined. He rubbed the excited flesh making her quiver. He teased, never focussing long enough on one spot to make her scream. Frankly, he was enjoying their privacy.

"Make me cum or I swear…" she threatened half-heartedly. The threat never came. Ghazan smiled and moved his wet fingers to the middle of her pussy where he rubbed her into a throbbing orgasm. She groaned loudly into the mattress, curling her toes and shuddering.

"On the bed." Ming-Hua panted moments later. Ghazan did as he was told and pulled away. The water bender lay back against the mattress. "Like this."

She wanted to see him. The earth bender took a pillow and placed it under her neck, propping her up a little. He rested an arm above her shoulder and cradled her head in the crook of his elbow. He slid back inside her, a moan escaping his lips as the warmth and tightness of her body gripped his member. That was better. He rolled his hips back and forth, responding to her groans of pleasure. His thrusts built up and her noises turned into whimpers of bliss. His knees dug deeper into the mattress. She craned her neck to kiss him deeply. His climax accelerated as their lips and tongues explored. To his surprise she came again, pushing him to his own end. When the waves ceased he tried to move away. He knew he was heavy. Ming-Hua's legs gripped him, refusing to let go.

"Thank you for trusting me." he said as he brushed hair from their faces. "I could never ask for more than that."

"Don't make me regret it." she said with a little smile in the corner of her mouth. "I'll kill you."

"I believe you. How about some breakfast?"

She released the vice-like grip of her thighs.

The smell of sex around the breakfast table and the afterglow they all wore confirmed that the Red Lotus was in good spirits and had indeed had a great night.


	3. Chapter 3

**Finale**

For a brief moment as she came to, Ming-Hua thought she back. Back in her prison, her personal centre of hell suspended inside that godforsaken volcano. It was quiet aside from a few echoes. The air was hot and strangely familiar. Where was she again? The disorientation made her frown and it hurt to try and remember. She relaxed her face. Lightning, that damn lightning bending brat who could not keep his mouth shut. She had darted down here for the water and when he followed her he shocked her into her current state. She was now laid down on her side in the scratchy sand, back pressed to the wall. Water splashed her face. Her ears picked up sounds closing in on her. Footsteps?

"Ming-Hua? Ming-Hua! Open your eyes! Wake up!"

"Ghazan." she whispered. Her jaw ached and a lump rose to her throat.

"Yeah, it's me." he replied quickly. His eyes were wild. In fact, everything about him looked quite frantic right now. There was no smirk or twinkle in his eyes. His overlong hair was a tangled mess and he was covered in dirt. "We have to go. Right now!"

His arms wrapped around her and she immediately groaned with pain. Flustered the lava bender tried to lift her bridal-style as gentle as possible. Ghazan's urgency unsettled Ming-Hua but she struggled to find the strength to object to him whisking her up and carrying her out of the damp tunnel and into the dry heat above. The walls were melting, the ceiling perilously bowing without support.

"What the hell did you do up here?" she croaked.

"Y'know. Redecorating." he replied gruffly. Desperately he looked for a way out. The Avatar's friends were heading down a tunnel on the east side to go find their friend, who was no doubt locked in combat with Zaheer. Molten rock would fill the caverns and eventually gravity could take care of the rest. No way in or out, unless you're a lava bender. That left him with one option – going up and creating a new tunnel to escape from the west. Ghazan stamped hard on the floor to build a column with the earth that remained. He gripped the petite water bender a little tighter. It was getting uncomfortably hot and dry even for him. He felt a little more secure hanging onto her. She mumbled something.

"You alright?" he asked

"I don't know." she said, trying to twitch her toes. Her feet felt worlds away, the instructions lost in a bizarre series of whispered.

"I think you're going into shock." He noticed some dark raised burns on her skin. "He electrocuted you?"

"Yeah."

"Can you heal yourself?"

"I can't move, Ghazan. Everything hurts."

The rock could extend no further. Ghazan looked around for more material. He needed a free hand.

"Can you hang onto me?"

"With my legs maybe. Help me move."

Ghazan helped her shift in his arms and wrap her legs around his waist. She squeezed him as hard as she could, his free hand gripping her buttocks. She felt the need to utter a quip remark about his hand placement but nothing came to mind. Really, if they were going to die here, this is the way she would want to go – curled around him in an embrace, knowing that their last moments together would be tender. She pressed into his chest with gritted teeth, tears streaming down her cheeks as pain radiated through her core. His other arm moved above her, forming stairs in the wall. He edged along the steps carefully, whispering in her ear.

"We're getting out of here. I swear we're getting out of here. Nothing is getting in our way."

His head started to feel heavy. Heat rose. He had to get through the wall as quickly as possible before they were baked alive. He threw a punch and the rock buckled. Relentlessly he pressed on, forcing out a chunk of rock large enough to step through. Sunlight hit their skin, searing their eyes. Ghazan squinted as they adjusted. They had reached the outside. Only a mile or so of barren grey-brown rock and they would be in cover. Light bounced off the water in the river like a snaking mirror in the distance and the dense treetops shimmered deep jewel greens. It would take the best benders in the world to find them in there.

Freedom.

"Ming-Hua, look! We're out! Open your eyes!"

Her eyelashes fluttered. He touched her cheek and she stirred. Finally, her eyes opened. Ghazan pressed a kiss onto her forehead with relief.

"See the river?" he said, turning her body to face the vast expanse ahead of them. "That's where we're going. We'll make a campsite there, just like old times."

The water bender did not reply, she just shuddered in his arms with short, shallow breaths. Everything hurt. She wanted to sleep. Sleep might provide relief. In the distance she heard a cry. Zaheer? The Avatar? She could not tell. On the other side of the mountain, a battle of titanic proportions was happening between the stone pillars and plateaus. Ghazan had heard the same cry, his eyes wide. Outnumbered and outgunned he knew one thing. If they went back there, it was nothing more than a ticket straight back to their individual prisons. But this time, it would be worse.

"Zaheer will escape. You know he will. He's stronger than ever."

"I'm more worried about us, Ghazan…" she said dryly. "We can't fight anymore. I'm so tired. I need to rest. Sleep…"

But the love of her life would not let her. Whispering sweet things in her ear, he ran. He ran the longest mile of their lives down the mountain and into the greenery for hours, only ever slowing to a jog in dense terrain. By dark, he found a spot in a horseshoe bend of the river, surrounded by trees. Beside a small fire pit he lay her down, gently rubbing her legs and feet, now not saying a word.

"It's no use." Ming-Hua said suddenly.

"What?"

He looked up, directly into her weepy eyes. Her face was framed by frizzle, singed hair and dark lines burned into her skin like veins. She looked half dead.

"I said it's no use. I can't move. I can barely feel my legs now…" The tears finally broke free of her lashes again, rolling down her cheeks in droves. "I never had arms, Ghazan, and now I may have lost my legs."

Ghazan's mouth hung open, wordless and helpless. Her worst fear – to be imprisoned again. She could be so stubborn and he needed to match her somehow. They had got this far. He needed to help her.

"I've seen you heal yourself before. You can do it again. A little at a time."

"But I can't move…"

"Tell me what to do." he begged. She shifted her skirts a little higher. There were more burns. They crawled up her legs towards her centre. She really was burned all over. "I don't know what to do."

"Nor do I…"

Ghazan's face hardened. So long as he felt breath in his lungs and his heart beating he could fight, even in the smallest way. The White Lotus wanted them dead or imprisoned. Right now, the only thing he could do in defiance was keeping on living. A life without Ming-Hua would be barren. He would not let her lie down and die when they still had a chance.

"We're going to make it." he said firmly. "No matter what happens, I won't let us get separated and I will not ever give up on you. We're not going back to prison. We're going to vanish, no one will ever hear from us again. We're done with the Lotus, for good. I love you. I'd do anything for you; even kick you up the arse if I have to. Just tell me what to do to help so I don't have to."

The water bender sighed and looked compliant.

"Elevate my feet. It might still do some good."

A boulder immediately rose under her feet and Ghazan bundled up his shirt for a pillow.

"Anything else?" he asked.

"I'll let you know."

Ghazan cracked a smile and placed a kiss on each of her cheeks. She smiled, wincing a little.

As the night reached its fullest it began to rain so the lava bender formed a better shelter for the two of them and a basin to catch the water. The steady drumming on the leaves was soothing and soon they fell asleep, nestling together in their slumber until they curved into each other's bodies.

Ghazan woke with the sunrise out of habit. His body clock betrayed him and left him awake and aching, watching the slight woman in his embrace breath with more ease than the day before. Gently, he brushed his big toe up the sole of her feet and to his joy she stirred, pulling her legs up to her chest. He smiled broadly.

"Good morning." he said softly. "Feeling better?"

The water bender turned her face into his bare chest and yawned.

"Yeah." she murmured, stretching. Her legs complied, flexing and twisting. Hope flooded her body. Thank the spirits.

"Well would you look at that." Ghazan smiled, watching her. "There's rain water outside for you."

Her face lit up. Rain water was the best. It was pure and light, especially in the country. She bent the water from the basin and formed her arms, feeling stronger already. She pushed herself up with them into a sitting position against the wall and flexed her feet as much as she could. She charged the water with energy and began to sooth her muscles and damaged skin.

"Will you help me get my dress off?" she asked.

"Certainly." the lava bender replied, cocking an eyebrow.

She scowled and shuffled towards him. His hands untied the knots that crisscrossed her chest and held the draping fabric closed. Gently he pulled it away, letting her soak the material when it became stuck to the oozing wounds beneath it. She hissed through her teeth as her skin contracted in the cool air. It was bad. It was a wonder she was alive. She was black and blue from head to toe. Anger welled up inside Ghazan white hot. If he saw those brothers again… Spirits, there would be no bodies left to identify once he was done with them.

"Lean into me, I'm warm." he said, banishing their faces from his mind. She shifted, pressing her naked back into his chest. It was nice. "Is there anything else I can do?"

"No." she replied. "Just stay here."

Slowly she worked the water up her legs and after a few hours some of the swelling reduced. Ghazan knew they could not stay in one place for long. What use was rushing her if she could not walk? Instead of talking he pressed gentle kisses into her hair. She smelt like burnt hair and ashes. Slowly he worked some of the knots out with his fingers. They could both use a bath truthfully.

"How are you feeling?" he asked every few minutes. She shushed him.

Ming-Hua moved the healing water to her chest and abdomen. The water glances over her skin leaving not a single drop. The bruises wash away like dirt. Some left stains. Who knows how many sessions it will take to be rid of the scars.

"How are you feeling?" he asks again.

"Stiff. You?"

"A bit beat up." he admitted. "I'm not as young as I was."

Ming-Hua snorted. He was five years to her junior so what did that make her? Both agreed she was a bit of a grumpy old lady at times. When they first realised their feelings he had been twenty one and she twenty six. She had been a little shocked when she found out. It was P'Li who had told her. She did not seem concerned. Zaheer was ten years to her senior. Was it really that weird or had she been conditioned by her upbringing to think so? Honestly, it took a good hard think to remember how old she was. Next year she would be forty. Damn. Her prime years had been spent locked up in a volcano. However many years she had left though, she knew how she wanted to spend them. If they could vanish, if they could start over somewhere new, she would do it. Was the anywhere in the world left for people like them?

Ming-Hua bent some water over the muscles of his back, arms and chest where he was bloody and grazed. This was the most beaten up she had seen him in a long while. The water turned red and gritty fast.

"Why didn't you tell me you were hurt?" she grumbled.

"The sting wore off. I was preoccupied."

She rolled her eyes at him and stood.

"I'm going to get more water. Stay there."

The first few steps were difficult. She pressed on, walking out into the midday sun fully nude. After bending river water into the basin she saw that her lover had not stayed put. He had stripped off and bundled their clothes under his arm, streaked with grime. Ghazan had the type of skin that soaked up the sun. No sun spots or marks interrupted the even tone and there were a surprisingly low number of visible scars. He was a capable man and probably gifted with good skin. The tattoos he bore were precise, uniform. Ming-Hua had never asked what they meant. She mentally sighed as he waded into the water, light bouncing off his skin as it started to sweat in the heat of the day. In these warmer days, he tried to be bare in sunshine as much as he could. Spirits, he was remarkable.

"I said stay put."

"Our clothes are disgusting. We might as well wash them too."

Ming-Hua decided to sit down for a while as the lava bender did their washing. Once they hit the next town or village, bloody clothes would immediately be suspicious. He looked pretty good in a domestic role. It made her smirk. All he needed with an apron…

"What?" he said suddenly.

"Nothing." she replied immediately. Sometimes she wondered if her years spent making up stories had twisted her imagination forever.

"What!" Ghazan insisted, pouting a little. He could not hold the expression and laughed. "Seriously though, what?"

"Do you think we're going to make it? Out here in the world."

Ghazan nodded.

"Well yeah. We're not that different than we were before the Red Lotus. We survived because we're adaptable."

Ming-Hua looked down at the water.

"I barely remember what it felt like before we met Zaheer and P'Li. I was a drifter. I have memories that are more like watching a mover than remembering my life experiences. I travelled from the North Water Tribe to down the South and through everything in between, getting into trouble and sampling delicacies as I went. I barely remember any of their names now…"

Ghazan's mind was flooded with the idea of Ming-Hua with other women. More than once he had become aware that she and P'Li had might have had something casual going on. Zaheer was not the jealous type. Air bending masters taught free, honest romance and sexuality. Ghazan wished there had been something similar in place when he was younger. Had he not grown up so fast and looking so intimidating, things would have been a lot different.

"Despite how many times I got hit in the head street fighting," Ghazan chuckled. "My memories are pretty clear. The guys in my fight club were the same guys that worked trades in the middle ring of Ba Sing Sae with me and the same guys I got into bank robbery with. We'd pull heists and someone always felt they had to joke 'Is there a metal bender here?' We'd all laugh, no matter how many times we heard it. Metal benders always ran off to join the police force."

"You had a trade?"

"Yeah. My sister and I owned a forge and stone oven. Being a metal bender could have been damn helpful there."

"I suppose. You wouldn't make much of a cop, maybe a crooked one. Or a very intimidating baker."

"You're probably right. I liked smithing and baking. There's something about working hard with your hands that I always liked. It's depending on your own merits."

"You said once you had an older sister?"

"Yeah, Kazana. She's almost three years older. Earth bender. Last time I saw her was when I left with the Red Lotus. I ran into Zaheer in the slums by the arena we used to brawl in. A week later, I said goodbye and never went home. She's probably doing just fine. She raised me and took over the forge when my mother went downhill, before she died. Black-lung. That's probably not the real name of it, but that's what the miners called it. She's probably the only reason I'm not a total screwball. I owe her a lot. If I had to, I'd fight every bastard that hassled her all over again, although by the time I left my reputation preceded me. Scared the fight out of them. And you?"

"Only child."

"Thank the spirits. The world couldn't handle another one of you."

"Yeah, my parents took one look at me and decided their union was cursed. Then my father changed his mind, remarried and had a bunch of replacement kids."

"Well, you parents were idiots."

"I agree. Who knows where they are." The water bender stretched her legs up out of the water. Most of the aching had ceased. She did not want to get back to walking just yet. It felt like a long time since they had got to sit together and talk. "Do you want kids?"

"I'd want as many as I could support." he said softly. "In an ideal world if I had work, a home and a tolerant partner," He shot her a cheeky look. "I'd probably want a big family. Not everyone's broody. I've just always been that way"

"I can't imagine have more than one." she said, pausing for thought. She valued her solitude at the best of times. It was strange to her to imagine a consistent lover, let alone a family. "I also can't imagine being pregnant. I can understand doing it once because you don't know any better, but afterwards, why do it again!"

"Kids love each other's company, it's a gift to have a good brother or sister. Siblings can have a strong bond."

"More than one and they can bounce off each other." warned Ming-Hua. "Like those brothers we captured. That was irritating."

"Silence in young men is a suspicious thing." Ghazan declared. She smiled.

"When that boy was asking questions," Ming-Hua said. "You said he got two out of three. Really, he got only one didn't he?"

Ghazan immediately pointed to his moustache.

"I was actually eleven when it started growing. I let him have it since he was close, it's not a total lie." the lava bender smirked. The counted them off on his fingers. "I _was_ raised by an elder sister, my moustache starting growing in when I was about eleven _but_ we had already spoken about our attraction."

"Thank you for not telling him which ones. I couldn't stand talking to him anymore."

"Enough about me," Ghazan said, waving his hand. He laid the clothes on the riverbank and sat up next to her. "What about you? You travelled the length of the world. Surely there's something or someone memorable?"

Ming-Hua shrugged.

"I never intended to stay in one place. I went around living out of a backpack doing odd jobs before I got into bounty hunting. I'd clear out a city of desired individuals or scare the last of thugs into hiding and then move on to the next. Wherever the money was. I didn't really care who or why someone had a price on their head." She thought for a moment. "I'd usually pick up a pretty girl in a bar when things were slow and stay with her for a while. It helped keep people off my scent. If I needed to stay in a place a little longer I'd usually make something nice to eat and they'll let me hang around if I did the cooking for a bit."

Ghazan raised an eyebrow.

"So 'Don't-Ask-What's-In-It soup' is a delicacy enjoyed by the whole world thanks to you?"

"Funny. I'm actually a pretty good cook with I can buy my own supplies. I'm all up for anarchy but a kitchen in anarchy a true disaster."

Ghazan laughed.

"I couldn't agree more. Y'know, between us we probably have quite the culinary library."

"Probably. I mainly cook Water tribe food from both sides. I like fire nation food but I wouldn't say I'm good at it."

"I'm not familiar with either. I had prison food while in Water Tribe territory but I don't think that really counts."

"I'll have to treat you some time. If you earn it."

The lava bended pulled a face, stood and flexed.

"I haven't earned anything by being naked for your viewing pleasure?"

"That and dragging me out of that hellhole yesterday, you're pretty close. You did melt down the mountain."

"You are hard to please."

They laughed together until it ached. The worst of the day's heat seemed over. It was a perfect time to get moving again. Clothes washed and dried as best they could, they dressed and decided to follow river. In better shape, it was their best bet. The river was their lifeline and their defence. They would dodge any oncoming towns for the time being and find their own space somewhere. There had to be one. There was always hope and home was wherever they could find shelter together. So long as they had each other, they had their own little world of perfect disorder.


	4. Chapter 4

*** EXTRA ***

It was a while before the two benders felt they had found a place no one recognised them. The giant of a man and his steely-eyed petite girlfriend were easily adjusted, pleasant company and hard workers. None of the questions the couple had feared were thrown at them. The community welcomed them. People wanted to know when the wedding was, to trade kitchen secrets and show them around. The lava bender found work as a smith in the hospitable village and he build a home from the native rock in the earth an hour walk away. For safety, Ghazan covered his tattoos during the day. The thought of starting an eatery hung around in his head as he worked and shaped the ore Ming-Hua chiselled from the ground. It would be nice to own a place where they could live and cook to sustain themselves. Despite their distance they had continued to become quite popular in the village. Quality metal goods were hard to come by this far out. Country life seemed simple in comparison to their past experiences. No one asked too many questions, everyone pulled their weight. Things were really coming together and before they knew it, it had been almost a year since they had settled.

Ghazan had woken before sunrise, earlier than usual. He turned his head to look at Ming-Hua, still fast asleep. Gently he kissed her lips and she twitched, stirring gently. He kissed her again and her eyelids fluttered open. She started kissing him back, hands moving across his body in passionate caresses. She straddled his hips, not letting him inside her just yet, allowing his eager hands to massage her breasts – a little plumper with her improved health. He devoured her, aching to touch her more deeply but was teased all the more. Her clit was grinding against his hard shaft in circular gyrating motions. A cold grip that he never got used to squeeze the head of his cock, making precum weep onto his belly.

"Come on, let me in." he groaned deeply.

"Not yet." she purred.

In a fluid motion she sank down his body. Ghazan peered down his rugged body and watched her take his cock into her mouth and begin to suck. Her tongue swirled around and a loud moan rumbled in his chest and over his lips. Gentle hands played with her hair and massaged her scalp reassuringly. Her head bobbed rhythmically, quite sucking sound infiltrating the silent air around them, devoid of even bird song. His noises urged her on. As aroused as she was, for a moment as she woke up her stomach had felt uncomfortable. She had decided to ignore it, throwing herself into a passionate make out session with her lover. More or less convinced the discomfort was gone now, she crawled up his body, manhandling Ghazan's flesh with vigorous strokes before slowly letting him push inside her. She rocked in his lap, demanding more kisses before throwing her head back to cry out with the pleasure from his thrusts. Using his weight, Ghazan rolled her underneath him, thrusting harder and deeper from the change in position. The fevered groans came to an abrupt halt.

"Get off, let me up, now!" she burst out suddenly, hand cupped over her mouth. The stomach discomfort came back with a vengeance as fully fledged nausea. Ghazan rolled off instantly and she threw herself towards the window looking onto the paved area behind the house. Ghazan winced as he saw his lover thrown open the shutters and lose her stomach contents out the window.

"Damn… Are you alright?" he said, holding her loose, long hair out the way as her empty belly contracted angrily.

"Ugh…" she groaned. "I don't know. It felt strange when I woke up but I thought it was gone."

Ghazan rubbed her back until she felt well enough to sit down. She sipped some water but did not want to eat. The sun rose and Ghazan realised that he needed to head into the village soon.

"Are you going to be alright on your own?" he asked, tying her hair back as one last kind gesture before he had to leave.

"Yeah, I'm fine." she croaked, throat burned. "I'm probably just sick."

Ghazan looked concerned.

"I don't think I have anything. Did you eat something strange yesterday?"

"No idea." She wretched again, shuddering. "I'll see you in the afternoon."

"Alright, but only if you feel better."

Ming-Hua did not make it to town that day. After his shift finished at three o'clock he picked up some ginger root to make tea and hurried home a little faster than usual. On his way Ghazan's eye was caught by a new sign hammered into the ground on the plot of land down the road from their home.

**FOR SALE**

It was a much larger house than their accommodation, built by real craftsmen. He was a smith, not an architect. The house sat on four acres of unused land. It would be so nice to have a real house – a home with real windows and real plumbing and all the things they had almost grown used to not having. That land had potential in the hands of determined owner. Most people would be too intimidated by the work required to move all the rock and tend the soil… Most people.

He mentally made a note to speak to the town official about the property. He had to get home. If Ming-Hua was worse, she would need him. He found her sitting inside, still sipping water and cradling a bucket in her lap. A book of paper was upturned on the table next to a pen. She had jotted down a few recipes until the thought of food became too much. She did not smile when he greeted her. She looked dazed.

"How are you feeling?" Ghazan asked sitting beside her. He pressed the back of his hand to her forehead. "You feel a little warm still."

He rubbed her back gently offering to make some bread for her to pick at if she wanted it. She stiffly shook her head.

"Ghazan, I… Yesterday I wasn't feeling so good," Ming-Hua confessed, looking at her feet. She had come to a realisation. It could no longer be ignored. "Or the day before, but this morning I couldn't stop throwing up."

Ghazan's dark eyes became saucers.

"Do you think… Are we…?"

"I didn't think it was possible, after what prison did to my body… I think I'm pregnant."

Ghazan's face broke into the broadest smile she had ever seen.

"That's wonderful!" he beamed pulling her into a hug. He held her tightly until she started to sob. Only when he pulled away did he see that she was smiling too, tears of happiness.

"I thought we'd missed our chance." she hiccupped, rubbing the tears in her eyes away on his shoulder. "It's like a miracle."

"It is a miracle." Ghazan whispered.

Disorder is the natural order.


End file.
